The Seventh Portrait
by Dandy352
Summary: He left with a promise he'll be back for her. Too bad, that when he did, she was no longer there. Chapter 3 - UPDATED! :) Thank you for your support!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Daa Daa Daa!**  
><strong>

**THE SEVENTH PORTRAIT**

_Genre: Romance, Drama, Fantasy, Christian Fiction_

He left with a promise he'll be back for her. Too bad, that when he did, she was no longer there.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>I have never seen a face, as sad as what he showed me. I've seen the women mourning for their loss. I've seen the tears shed when a warrior was killed defending his kingdom. I've seen a child crying over his parents dying, and I've seen a slave so pained you won't need to hear the sobs to know what he's been through. Ah, yes! The grief caused by a loss. Only this time, it was a hero's mourning after destroying an army. It was a hero, being celebrated for his success, but was crying because of a death, the death of that one person who could have been his everything…"<strong>_

Outside the palace halls, the crowd cheers for their prince's return. Two days have passed after the fire incident that destroyed a fourth of the village. Their army that left two months ago to fight a war against another kingdom who wanted to colonize them returned this day before sunrise. Also, two weeks from today, will mark of a big part of the history of Saionji Kingdom. Two weeks from today, will be the coronation of Prince Kanata Saionji, the prince whom the people love and adore.

"Long live the Prince! Long live Prince Kanata! Long live Saionji Kingdom!" They cheer.

The entire Kingdom was filled with singing and dancing. There was a great feast, even more extravagant than the reception after the wedding of their King Hosho and their deceased Queen Hitomi. It was as if the fire never happened. Or so to say, everyone was trying to forget. The King has sent for laborers to rebuild what was lost because of the fire incident. He has pacified his people with the assurance that everyone will not be let homeless. Indeed, the crowd was pleased. And what was left for the King to regret, was his inability to pacify the mourning heart of his own son, the one prince of Saionji Kingdom, the hero of the last war.

"Where is he?" the King asked his trusted page Nozomu. They were in the Palace's biggest balcony, the King waving to his people. Beside him was the blonde page who has been serving the Prince since they were ten. The King couldn't be more assured of the condition of his own son if he wouldn't hear of it from Nozomu.

"The Prince never left his room since his return."

"So he's never visited the Kouzukis?" The King asked, even more worried that his son hasn't shown any sign of eagerness to see the truth being tried to cover by the celebration.

When the page shook his head, the King sighed.

"Go to him. Make sure he doesn't try to harm himself. The kingdom needs him to rule them. I need him to replace me." He tried to sound strong, but the page knew better. It was obvious the King couldn't worry less for his own eighteen year old son.

"Forgive my honesty your highness, but you know the Prince would never do such a thing!" Nozomu pointed out, respectfully still.

The King averted his gaze from the crowd. And with all due seriousness said to the faithful page and one true friend of the Prince, "I know. The boy never fails to exceed beyond our expectations. He always shows us he's more capable and mature for his age, which is why you can't blame me Nozomu. You can't blame me for hoping that for once, my son would act the same way any other kid his age would after losing her. You cannot imagine, how much it pains me to see my own suffering and yet living his life, as if he was a stone, as if her loss wasn't enough to break him down."

* * *

><p>-Note: A Warrior is a Child sang by Garry V.<p>

(Please start playing it before you read this.)

_**(Two months ago)**_

"_Kanata."_

_She whispered as soon as she heard a strange sound from their backyard. She was alone in their two story house, sewing. Her parents, two of the most known merchants in the Kingdom, hired to work for King Hosho himself, were away to trade a portion of the Kingdom's herbs and minerals for spices, silk, and metal weapons. _

"_Kanata? It can't be." She tried convincing herself. Surely, it can't be him. The Kingdom's army was supposed to be fighting in the war against the Kamoru Kingdom. He couldn't have returned, unless, unless…_

_She thought about it fast. The war was expected to last for three to five months. It was just the start of the second month after they left. Normally, it's impossible to be him. She knew about all these. But somehow, a voice from inside her was telling her to go out. And though logic wouldn't agree to it, she just had to know. It was him after all. It was him, the boy who never fails to amuse her beyond reasons. She just had to see it for herself, and she did. She left the unfinished work in the small wooden table in their living room, and ran to the direction of the sound. _

_And as she ran, her heartbeat grew fast, assuring her that it was him. It was then that she was certain. She knew the war was over, and their kingdom won. She knew he was coming. He always did after every battle won. So here she was, running, for she also knew he needed comfort._

_She stopped as the sound grew faint. She has reached the meadows, covered in different kinds of lilies. It was also the place, where she last saw him before he left._

_There, in front of her, stood the hero of the war. There, stood a young man in battle suite, removing his helmet. She can't help but smile. Surely it was him. Who else would be as fine looking as the young soldier staring directly at her eyes as if he was trying to see her very soul. She can't be wrong when she assumed he never got the chance to change. This time, he took off his sword from its case attached on his left in his waist. As he threw it on the ground, her eyes melted at the sight. He was only a few months younger than her, and yet here he was giving their kingdom glory._

"_Kanata…" _

_She called him again yet there was no response. His eyes were on her, his lips forming a line, his expression hurt. _

"_Kanata…" she tried again._

"_Kanata…" This time he opened his mouth, but no sound came. He started walking, slowly, very slowly towards her. His fists were tightly closed, and she can see he was starting to tremble._

_She just stood there watching him take what seemed to be countless steps to reach her. _

"_Kana-" She called, when they were a step apart. The prince fell to his knees and hugged her waist. And there, he dropped his shield. He held her tight and wept._

_Her eyes grew wide-open with surprise at his sudden move. But she took his hiccups as a sign and gently, so gently patted the top of his head, her other hand just resting on his right shoulder._

_There, crying to her on his knees with his shoulders trembling was the Prince of their kingdom Kanata Saionji right after he returned from a war won by his leadership._

"_Sssshhhh…" She smiled weakly, staring at him with all compassion she felt. Too bad he was busy hugging her tightly, crying, to see._

"_I…" He hiccupped. "I killed…them. One soldier was…" he hiccupped again, still trembling. "He thanked me when I killed him Miyu. He felt thankful I killed him…but why-" he sobbed. "Why do I feel like shit? Like I did the wrong thing? Tell me I wasn't wrong. Tell me please." He looked at her with pleading eyes, holding her hands as if they were his lifeline, begging._

_She wanted to cry herself, not for her but for him. This time, she couldn't smile. So instead, she took over his hands, and knelt down facing him. "You did the right thing Prince Kanata." And there, she put his arms around him, pressing herself to him for comfort. He was just kneeling still, digesting her words._

"_I did…I did the right thing, didn't I?"_

"_Yes, you did." Her voice was breaking in tears. "You did Kanata."_

_And that was it. That was all he needed to hear. That was all she needed to say. The young prince of the kingdom smiled weakly, this time returning her hug._

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><p>"Prince Kanata! Where are you? Prince Kanata!" The soldiers yelled in the deepest part of the forest. It was already midnight when the King asked to force open the Prince's room. But when they did, he prince was nowhere in sight.<p>

Nozomu, the prince's trusted page was leading the search. He came to the burned portion of the village, in front of the very house he used to visit with the Prince. Only two days ago, he came here alone to visit a friend. Now, he can't help but fear in awe that in a short span of days, the beautiful purple home of the Kouzukis was now in ruin, their only daughter, never seen.

He left his troop, asking them to wait for his return. He entered the burned house, and came out in the backyard.

There, he found him. There, was the prince, kneeling and staring blankly at the burnt scene. He still looked like a monarchy, still a prince, but one who had been carrying the burden of the world, like a soul who just lost the most important one.

"Miyu, where can I go now? I can't find you anywhere."

The page's heart was breaking at the sight. Who would have thought that the hero and soon to be King of their kingdom was this dependent on one villager? And now that they lost her, he too was lost.

"Prince Kanata…" He murmured with the small hope of getting his attention.

"Nozomu." He turned to him, still kneeling. "Miyu…" He said so softly as if saying her name will break her. Nozomu was simply looking at him, ready to do whatever he asks of him. If he wants to be left alone, then he'll let him be. He won't even tell the guards he saw him.

But his response broke his heart even more.

"Come on, the kingdom needs me." The prince said, wiping his tears, still with the blank expression.

Surely, the prince, as young as he was, was dying on the inside.

'_Miyu, can't you see? This is what you do to him.'_

_-End-_

**A/N: **Alright! So that was it. That's the end of the 1st chapter. This is supposed to be a novel, which could be a series. I thought the Daa! Daa! Daa! characters were fit for the description. Also, I'd like to acknowledge Kanata Saionji for writing Castles in the Air. Let's just say, that reading his stories over and over again help in me being interested in Miyu-Kanata pairing and writing this. So, what do you guys think? I can be slow in updating. But if your reviews inspire me enough, may God permit I finish this before the year ends. _God bless & Thanks for reading!_

PS: About the title, God willing you'll see why soon enough. And before you even ask, the answer is yes. For crying out loud, I am a fan of happy endings. She's alive. Happy? Ooh, BTW, what do you think of the song "Warrior Is a Child?" I had to listen to it a lot of times to finish this. And frankly, I enjoyed writing it. All thanks to God! ^^ _Anonymous reviews are welcome! But if you can, I'd like to know who I should thank for reading and reviewing so please sign up to review. Advance thanks!_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Daa Daa Daa.**  
><strong>

**THE SEVENTH PORTRAIT**

_Genre: Romance, Drama, Fantasy, Christian Fiction_

He left with a promise he'll be back for her. Too bad, that when he did, she was no longer there.

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER TWO<br>**

**_"How long do you expect me to mourn? How long do you expect me to wait for you?"_  
><strong>

"_Kanata! Look Kanata! This is the dance I'm going to teach the children tomorrow!" A young girl called, golden hair strands swaying as she dances barefooted in the meadows. Her pale rose dress twirling along as she skips and slides on the rhythm of the festive music she was playing with her tambourine. She was laughing melodically, enjoying every passing second.  
><em>

_Her only audience, a neat looking young boy sat in the grass a few meters away, turned smiling at her._

"_It looks good." He said, as he began to fascinate himself with her dancing. She looks so happy, he couldn't help but laugh along with her.  
><em>

_His smile turned into a frown when he saw her trip over a rock, causing her to fall backwards._

_Instinctively, he ran to her, kneeling down to examine her. "Miyu, are you okay? Miyu…"_

"_Ouch…" she moaned, caressing her head, feeling a bit dizzy._

_He gently pulled her up from behind. _

"_Ah!" she cried in pain halfway standing, touching her ankle. Looking more worried, the young man literally swept her off her feet, carrying her off like a bride._

"_Wait! What do you think you're doing? Kanata! Put me down!" She screamed, pulling herself away from him but he didn't let go._

_He continued walking with her in his arms and stopped only when they reached his horse. _

"_Come on, I'll help you up." He said nonchalantly as if she didn't just protest when he carried her forcefully. _

_She bit her lip, frowning in dismay but did as told. For the second time that day, she found herself riding in the same white horse as him._

"_Where are we going?" She asked when he squeezed the horse with his leg and they began moving._

"_I think this is better than letting you trip again." He teased with the smirk she's too familiar of._

"_Hey!" She retorted, hitting him by the arm. He chuckled, and she hit him some more._

"_Would you stop that? If we both fall and get injured, it would be hard for me to carry you, you know!" _

"_I never asked you to carry me!" she pointed out. For a moment, he looked stunned, unaware that guilt began to creep up on her causing her to avoid meeting his eyes. After all, he was just trying to help, like he always do._

"_True. But I wanted to." He said, making her look at him again._

"_What?"_

_Her head jerked up but she chose to remain silent as she saw he was no longer looking at her. He was looking at the horizon._

"_Miyu…" She felt them stop and she found herself smiling at the sight of the village. They were now in the highland of the Saionji Kingdom, right above the meadows._

_They stayed unmoving for a while, content with watching what seemed like a miniature that was their village. His arms were still around her, holding the reins. And somehow, she felt like resting her head on his chest. He didn't object. _

"_Kanata…" He heard but kept his eyes focused ahead of them._

"_When you come back this time, you're going to be King. It's going to be different between us, isn't it?" Her voice was serious yet gentle. He sensed she didn't want to mention about the war he has to fight again - another war, another battle, and this time with a different kingdom._

"_Hey Miyu…" He called this time and met her gaze, losing himself in a pool of emerald._

"_Hmm?" _

"_What kind of future do you want to see?" _

_She was surprised but covered it up with a warm smile directed at him before darting her eyes back on the village._

"_Why? Already thinking about when you're King?"_

_When he didn't reply she sighed. _

"_Future you say?" She murmured, but was loud enough for him to hear. "I want to see a kingdom with no adversary, where no woman will have to spend sleepless nights worried sick if their husbands are hurt or killed in battle. No child is left crying, not even the orphans. I want to see a kingdom whose people are filled with rejoicing because what they need is being provided. Every peasant has a house. No one is left homeless and no elderly is alone because there's always a youth to take care of them. A kingdom where every citizen can dream and all are given a fair chance to live the dream." She paused, turning to him and stunned at the realization that he kept his gaze on her._

"_And of course," she said, mesmerized by the mahogany that was his eyes. "I want to see a happy King."_

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><p>Twenty year old King Kanata Saionji awoke from slumber and found himself tightly wrapped in thick dirty white cotton blanket. His eyes roamed and he instantly recognized the place as the back a commoner's carriage. He shivered slightly as he felt the cold breeze of the Northern wind.<p>

Sighing, he turned to the small opening behind him to talk to the driver.

"Nozomu?" he called, now aware of the snow covered environment they were now in.

His right hand and only companion for this journey spoke. "Yes your highness?"

"Why didn't you wake me up? Where are we?"

"We're two villages away from the Saionji Kingdom your highness. We couldn't go across the town so I took the long route here at the mountains."

"I see." He stopped, looking thoughtful in contemplation. "Nozomu, switch places with me!" He called, and instantly felt the carriage stop.

He opened the door to step out but found his boots sinking in snow. His eyes scanned the surrounding but found nothing but snow.

"You still want to switch places your highness?" The blonde knight asked, already on the ground. He too was covered in thick cloth.

"Yeah. It's your turn to take a nap." He smirked. The blonde knight wanted to protest but the young King beat him to it by climbing up on the driver's seat.

"Get inside!" He signaled the knight.

Sighing in defeat, the blonde knight climbed up but instead of sitting inside the carriage, he chose to sit beside the King.

"I know you're bored your highness, but it's my duty to protect you so please just let me do my job."

The young King didn't respond and instead focused on the road ahead, pulling the reins.

The two sat silently as they continued their journey.

"Nozomu." The young King called. "Where do you think we should look next?"

The blonde knight hesitated but chose to answer anyway. "To be honest, I don't know your highness. We've been to the nearest surrounding kingdoms and still couldn't find her."

"Maybe she's been there but had to go elsewhere. There must be a reason why she hasn't returned yet."

The knight remained silent. Truth be told, they have no assurance she was alive for that matter. The only hope they have was that there was no body found inside the purple house of the Kouzukis. The former King Hosho ordered a search made to the entire Kingdom, but nobody found her. Even after the coronation, the search went on reaching even to the most distant places, but still no news of her. Now they were back to square one, back to the places they first searched.

"I know she's alive." He heard his King say, as if he was able to read his mind. The King seemed to be in daze, eyes looking ahead of them, wherever it was they're headed.

The blonde knight felt a tug in his heart. "Of course, your highness." He smiled weakly.

"**Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh! Help! Please! Anyone, help me!"** came a female voice that broke them out of reverie.

"It's coming from there your highness!" Nokoru said in panic, pulling out his sword. The young King got down.

"I'm going!"

And without another word, the young King dashed to the direction of the scream, his right hand right after him.

Soon enough, a young girl about the King's age dressed as a slave, came running helplessly.

"Help please! Anyone…" The female cried as she stumbled, her chained hands creating metallic noises as she tried to free herself.

Two middle aged men covered in dirty white hoods were after her, both with plastered smirk on their faces.

"It's useless! You should have just been obedient. Look what you did to me you slave!" One hooded man yelled, his arm gripping the thin arm of the young girl making her scream in pain.

Desperate, the girl took advantage of the opportunity, and despite her hurting arm, pushed herself to bite the hand of her captor.

"Aww you little scumming-" he froze, feeling a sharp blade on his neck. He turned and was surprised to see a blonde young man half his age pointing his sword at him.

"I wouldn't say more if I were you…"

The girl hurriedly tried to move away to save herself in case a fight broke out, but winced in agony with the realization that she could no longer feel his legs.

"Trevon! Where are you?" Her captor, now the blonde's hostage, yelled but froze I horror when he heard another unfamiliar voice.

"If you're talking about this guy, then I'm afraid he won't be able to reply." said a hoarse voice of another young man, as he pushed an unconscious older one making him fall face down on the snow.

"Nozomu- tie them down!" the young man ordered, as the girl's remaining conscious captor trembled in fear.

"Look, I- I can give you money!" He stuttered in fear. "If you want the girl, you can have her! She's a virgin, a princess even! You can trade her for a very good price! Please– please, just let me go!"

The young King's brows twitched hearing this, and he automatically turned to the now shivering girl.

"You- you're a princess?" he uttered. He was approaching the girl but stopped when he saw her eyes filled with fear and remorse hatred, "Go away! Go away from me you save traders!" she screamed, kicking the snow with her unfeeling legs.

"We're not-" he wanted to explain but kept himself from doing so. Instead, he took off the thick cloth covering him. The girl, now crying, kept her glare on him as he neared her. He saw her close her eyes, biting her lip in pain, and barely touching her, he freed her of the chains. "Look I, I won't hurt you. I promise I'll bring you back to your home." She heard but before she could speak, she found herself being warmed up by the stranger's cloth, the said stranger walking away from her.

"Nozomu, bring her up. I'll take care of these guys." He said and the blonde did as told.

The girl, unsure of what's going on, couldn't help but merely watch in silence. Was she just saved? Were her saviors for real?

Her eyes followed as the blond knight came to her, kneeling beside her. "Please don't be afraid. You're safe now. I can see that you can't walk, is it okay if I carry you?"

She searched his eyes and when she's satisfied, nodded. She then found herself being carried to the back of a commoner's carriage. The blonde young man made sure she had more blankets to warm her up before he also brought up the unconscious, and now tied captors of hers.

"Would you like a drink? Hot chocolate?" The blonde offered and she responded by a meek nod.

The blonde smiled, handing her a cup which she, shaking, accepted.

It didn't take a while before the girl found her watery eyelids getting heavier every passing second but she did her best to fight it off.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked.

"To Saionji Kingdom." The blonde replied, not really looking at her.

"You and your companion – are you, are you soldiers by any chance?"

The blonde merely smiled. "I am, but he's not."

Hearing her silence, the blonde decided to take a risk.

"If you don't mind me asking, can you tell us your name and where you live? So that we can contact your parents and let them know you're with us."

"Are you sure you're not slave traders?" She said weakly.

"I assure you, we're not." The blonde replied politely.

Now the girl was really unable to keep her eyes open, but before she closed them, she managed to answer in a soft whisper.

"Akira Kijyo, from Azarul Kingdom."

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><p><strong>AN: **I apologize for a very late update. The good news is that I haven't given up on this story though I'm thinking on working on the actual fiction and not the fanfic version. I'll be depending on your reviews if I should keep updating this as a fanfiction. I'm counting on your reviews so please do tell me what you think. God bless and thank you for reading. ^^

_Sincerely,_

_Dandy352  
><em>


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Daa Daa Daa!

**THE SEVENTH PORTRAIT**

_Genre: Romance, Drama, Fantasy, Christian Fiction_

He left with a promise he'll be back for her. Too bad, that when he did, she was no longer there.

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER THREE<strong>

_"**Because a king is in need of a queen…"**_

She woke up feeling a bit woozy. There was a slight throb in her head but she managed to disregard the pain and took her time to observe her surroundings. Her dirty rugged slave cloth was changed into plain white silk dress, a huge cotton blanket wrapped around her in the queen sized bed. And her wounds of which the memories of her time as a captive seem to ignite the pain wasn't as hurting as before. Lifting up the sheets, she realized that her wounds were either fully healed or covered in clean bandage.

"What happened?" She asked no one in paricular. Just then a soft knock was heard and startled, she forced herself to pretend asleep.

"Her highness?" a soft voice called and a maid came in, carrying a tray of food.

She peeked from behind the sheets and was surprised to see a woman near her age or even younger, smiling politely at her.

"I can see that you're awake now your highness." The maid said and she slowly half sit, feeling alarmed and embarrassed.

"Where is- where is this place?" she hesitantly asked.

"You're in Saionji Kingdom, your highness. You were brought in here unconscious two days ago. The doctors did say you'll be waking up anytime soon." The maid explained, setting up the breakfast table right beside her bed.

The events of how she was saved played in her head. Two men: one blonde and the other mahogany haired, both dressed as soldiers came to her rescue. She recalled of how she thought she's going to die but was miraculously saved by these two strangers.

"Wait a second!" She gasped, the maid's words finally sinking in. "Three days? You said I was asleep for three days?"

The maid looked stunned but recovered and gave her an understanding nod. She also gestured for her to eat, which she, feeling hungry, politely agreed upon.

"Where are the two men who brought me here? Can I see them? My father, does my father know I'm here?" She asked again when she was sat in front of the breakfast table. Before her was a full Hungarian meal with sausages, toasts and egg benedict with a glass of orange juice for her drink.

The maid looked thoughtful for a while, pondering how to respond. She was about to swallow her second bite when the maid spoke again. "His highness, King Saionji, has sent a messenger to your father King Azul the same night when they brought you here. Our King has always been a kind and welcoming host to all foreigners in our kingdom." She explained and she couldn't notice the way she smiled every time the King was mentioned. "As for whether he received a response or not, I'm afraid you'll have to ask him directly. I can accompany you to him after you're dressed, if you'd like."

"King Saionji did huh? That's very kind of him." She said feeling relieved. Her father's probably worrying by now, with all the kidnapping and all.

"So- ahm, when can I see him? I owe him my gratitude, and so my two rescuers."

The maid looked stunned and confused both at once with her comment. "You- forgive my curiosity your highness but you- you don't know who rescued you?"

It was her turn to look confused. "I'm sorry?"

Instead of answering, the maid suddenly looked guilty for letting her tongue slip. Trying her best to avoid her gaze, she attempted to change the topic.

"Nothing, your highness. My apologies your highness but Sir Nozumu will have to be the one to enlighten you on that one. I'll be preparing your hot bath your highness. Would you like lavender or vanilla scent? Or is there any particular scent you'd like?"

She wanted to ask her more questions but chose it better not to. After all, she did say she'll get to meet the King later. "I'm alright with vanilla. Thank you-" She looked in wonder and the maid caught up, looking apologetic.

"Aya, at your service her highness." The maid bowed. "I'm sorry I tend to be forgetful sometimes." She said and hurriedly excused herself to what she assumed was the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, King Kanata Saionji sat in his throne, his right hand Nozomu Hikarigaoka standing beside him. Two rows of soldiers facing opposite each other were lined up in front of them, a red carpet reaching the throne dividing them.<p>

One by one, one of the King's royal advisers would call a name of a maiden and the called maiden would model herself to impress the King.

"Next, Lady Marikus from the Shibiki Family!" The youngest royal adviser – a middle aged man in his late forties called, followed by a trumpet call.

"Look at her your highness, isn't she beautiful?" urged another adviser standing beside the King.

The young King tilted his head, letting more weight add on his left hand. Lady Marikus was the 26th lady he was introduced for today. Nevertheless, he chose to remain patient and looked up with a polite nod in acknowledgement of the female.

When the royal advisers didn't see any more reaction from him, they called for the next female in line and Lady Marikus took her leave terribly disappointed.

"Next, Lady Elena from Carilon Family!"

Once in a while the young King would whisper something to his right hand Nozumu and Nozumu would whisper in return. This went on to distract the royal advisers, leaving them under the assumption that the young King just love getting on their nerves. This action continued up to the 41st lady for the day.

The royal advisers gasped, some even crossing their fingers when King Kanata finally rose up from the throne and approached the blushing Lady Lois who was apparently the 41st. Breathes were held and even the ladies in waiting were fighting to get a view of what's happening.

With a polite appreciative smile, the King only stopped when he was close enough to see the color of Lady Lois's eyes.

"Lady Lois." He called like a gentleman. "It's a pleasure to meet a beautiful lady like yourself."

For a second Lady Lois looked hopeful, even more than the royal advisers. "But-" he began and the royal advisers began sighing, already having a clue of what would happen next.

"…I'm afraid I'll have to apologize." He said bowing in respect, leaving Lady Lois lost. He then rose again and turned to face both his royal advisers and his right hand Nozomu.

With all firmness and sincerity the young King could have, he spoke in a tone loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"Everyone, I'm sorry for wasting your time. I only agreed to this to please our respected royal advisers. I gave their suggestion a try. However, I have to end this now. As you all might have heard in the rumors, which I don't deny, I'm not looking for a queen." Now, more gasps were heard from the females in waiting and Lady Lois couldn't help but be taken back. The King looked apologetic but Lady Lois knew better and smiled bitterly in understanding.

The King's eyes softened in gratitude but returned impassive when he turned to his royal advisers.

"I already have one specific girl in mind and I believe you already know who that is. With that said, I'd like to bring my own suggestion. If you want a queen, then bring her to me. Bring Miyu Kouzuki to me." He said in an authoritative tone, emphasizing on the familiar name.

No sound was heard from the room but numerous mouths can be seen parting in shock of what they just heard.

* * *

><p>The Iryikon Kingdom stood in its glory two mountains away from the Saionji Kingdom. Known as a primary source of bountiful gold and minerals, the kingdom was established to be one of the wealthiest alongside the Saionji Kingdom.<p>

Every year, King Mizuki Yamamura and his sister Princess Mikan Yamamura will hold a tournament giving fair chances to citizens of all status and genders to live their dream of working in the palace for any position in the royal household they prove worthy of.

It was for this reason that Erzin, a lone man in his early thirties stood by the riverbanks right across the Iryikon Forest. He was on a break from practicing his axing skills in hope to be accepted as a royal logger.

Erzin knelt down to get some river water with his bare hands but was alerted by the reflection he saw. Gasping, he immediately turned around to see a helpless maiden in pale white and lavender dress. The girl, barefooted, was panting and looking helpless leaning on the tree trunk, as if she would fall if she didn't.

"Who- who are you?" Erzin asked, unbelieving.

"Help, help me please-" the girl pleaded earnestly, her emerald eyes threatening to close from exhaustion.

The man looked past behind her to see if she was being followed. When he was certain she came alone, he rushed to her side, just in time to catch her as she fainted.

Her blonde hair covered her pale face. The man gasped once again. The girl wears the clothes of a monarch. He touched the shining jewel on her neck and instantly recognized it as diamond.

"A princess?" He gulped, unknowing what to do. He then carefully let the girl lay unconscious beside the tree trunk.

"Should I call for help? But what if she really is being followed?" He hesitated, wiping his sweat.

"I know!" He gasped when an idea hit his mind. "I'll bring her to the King!"

He was about to carry her when he heard the sound of a running horse. He froze, realizing it was already nearing them.

Instinctively, he left the girl and hid himself behind the trunk of another tree.

His conclusion was proven right when he saw a young man dressed like a prince, stepped down his horse to pick her up. He easily carried her unconscious form up his horse and rode off to the deep part of the forest.

When they were gone, Erzin got out of hiding and hurriedly ran to the direction of the Iryikon Palace.

_-End of Chapter 3_

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><p><em>AN: So, what do you think? I sure would like to know. It took me an entire day to organize my thoughts. I have scenes waiting to be arranged but it's the organization of how I present it that troubles me. Reviewing is the best way if you want to encourage me to keep going. The more the merrier __ God bless and thank you for reading!_

_-Dandy352_


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